Duvi Honig is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, JBizNews and J-biz Expo.
Antisemitism does not always begin with open hatred. Often, it starts with a casual suggestion, a political accusation, or an attempt to associate Jews with problems they did not create. The seeds are planted, repeated, and eventually accepted as truth.
History has shown us where that leads. Yet here we go again.
Following the Republicans' midterm election losses, Vice President JD Vance identified several reasons voters turned against his party, including the Iran war, inflation, the cost of living, and dissatisfaction with America's relationship with Israel.
There it is. Israel.
Instead of seriously examining why Republicans lost the confidence of voters who supported them just two years earlier, the Jewish state becomes part of the explanation.
What makes this particularly troubling is that America and Israel fought Iran together, achieving significant military successes against a common enemy. Washington made its own decisions, pursued its own objectives, and committed American forces. Yet when the political consequences became uncomfortable, Israel was suddenly part of the blame.
America stood alongside Israel in confronting Iran, only to risk pushing its ally away with both arms when political accountability came calling.
That is not how leadership should work.
The Iran war was an American policy decision, stopping short of victory was also an American decision, and its political consequences belong to American leadership. Israel did not determine America's economic policies, create its affordability crisis, or cause Washington's growing disconnect from ordinary citizens.
Through my work in commerce, economic development, and government relations, I have repeatedly witnessed that disconnect. Americans are tired of being preached to instead of listened to. They want leaders who understand their struggles, communicate with them, and deliver practical solutions rather than announce policies and expect unquestioning loyalty.
Republicans should be asking why voters who supported them in 2024 turned away in 2026. Was it their outreach, communication, economic priorities, or failure to maintain relationships with the people they represent?
Those are difficult questions because they require looking in the mirror.
Blaming an outside influence is easier. And when that influence is Israel, history teaches us to recognize the warning signs.
For centuries, Jews have been blamed for economic hardship, political instability, military defeats, and failures of government. These accusations often began as seemingly ordinary explanations before developing into widespread hostility.
Today, the language may be different, but the danger remains. Criticism of Israel can gradually become accusations of Israeli influence, followed by insinuations about Jewish influence over American decisions.
That is how antisemitism spreads. Not necessarily through someone openly declaring hatred, but through casually planting ideas that become acceptable through repetition.
We already witness the consequences when Jewish students, businesses, synagogues, and communities are targeted over Israeli government decisions they neither made nor controlled.
Americans have every right to question foreign policy, military intervention, and America's relationship with Israel. But there is a difference between debating policy and allowing the Jewish state to become a convenient explanation for America's internal failures.
Vance may have been reporting what voters told pollsters, but national leaders have a responsibility to recognize the implications of the narratives they amplify. Intent does not erase consequences.
If the Iran war cost Republicans votes, Washington must answer for its decisions. If inflation and affordability drove voters away, Republican leadership must examine its economic policies. If Americans feel disconnected from their elected representatives, those representatives must rebuild public trust.
None of those problems can be solved by pointing towards Israel.
The Republican Party lost voters because Americans made judgments about the leadership representing them. Understanding those judgments requires accountability, not scapegoating.
History teaches us that blaming Jews has always been easier than accepting responsibility. It also teaches us that antisemitism becomes most dangerous when accusations are casually introduced, normalized, and allowed to grow without challenge.
The seeds of antisemitism are rarely announced. They are planted quietly, one suggestion at a time, until blaming the Jews becomes acceptable.
Here you go again. Blame the Jews.
Instead of planting those seeds, Washington should look in the mirror.